David Yates confirms a young Albus Dumbledore will be in Fantastic Beasts 2

Things are revving up for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sequel. Following the news that the trilogy had become five films and that Johnny Depp had joined the cast of the follow-up set in Paris (rumor is that Depp is playing Gellert Grindelwald), now comes word that the powers-that-be are adding a young Albus Dumbledore into the mix.

The news was confirmed by Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts director David Yates via Screen Rant during a press roundtable. Yates revealed not only that we’ll get to see a young Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts 2, but that casting for the role was already underway. The director also officially confirmed that Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) would be back in the sequel and that the character would share some scenes with Dumbledore (it’s already been strongly hinted in the Fantastic Beasts trailers that Dumbledore has ties to, and is quite fond of, our young magizoologist).

“In the second movie Dumbledore comes back. He’s got a couple of good scenes with Newt… We’re discussing who would play Dumbledore, any suggestions would be good. [Laughs]”

Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald have a bit of a history together. When the two were young — before Grindelwald turned to the Dark Side of the Force — the two were friends (Dumbledore was even secretly in love with him). But when Grindelwald was at the apex of his dark power (that'd be in 1945; Fantastic Beasts takes place in 1926), the two engaged in an epic duel (now, that I can't wait to see!) that ultimately led to the Dark Wizard being imprisoned in his fortress for years, until he was killed by Voldemort when Grindelwald refused to give him any info on the Elder Wand.

Rumor has it that the second film will see the rise of Gellert Grindelwald as a Dark Wizard as the sequel “moves deeper into an increasingly dark time for the wizarding world, where Newt and our other heroes have to decide on their allegiances.”

Who would you like to see in the role of a young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sequels?